Chapter 7 Chapter 7

Chapter 7

1

The Eldest Young Master stared at her for a long moment, as if he found her question utterly strange.

Just then, the sun outside began to set, spilling a vast swath of orange-gold sunset that melted into a brilliant halo draped over Lin Chenxin.

Lin Chenxin’s eyes were a beautiful amber, lucid and bright.

She met the Eldest Young Master’s gaze, her eyes round and large, with upturned corners like a cat’s, bearing a hint of innate pride and spirit. Occasionally, she blinked, her long lashes fluttering like wings.

The Eldest Young Master looked away, but after a moment, he looked back at her. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he emitted a low, hoarse voice.

“Do you want to leave?”

It was clear he hadn’t spoken in a long time.

What should have been a gentle, clear voice like a spring now sounded as if it had been ground down by gravel, rough and raspy.

Lin Chenxin, however, breathed a sigh of relief.

He could understand and speak.

It seemed that other than looking a bit eerie, he wasn’t so different from a human.

She relaxed.

He’s human, that’s good. He’s human, that’s good.

Chen Gujun’s gaze shifted slightly as he watched the girl’s suddenly relaxed face.

“Are you saying that if I want to leave, you have a way to send me away?” she asked.

Chen Gujun remained silent.

But Lin Chenxin continued to stare at him and asked, “Then why did your first two wives die here in the Chen residence instead of leaving?”

Chen Gujun’s eyes were pitch black, without a hint of color, like a bottomless abyss in the increasingly dim light.

He did not answer. His eyes seemed to look past Lin Chenxin toward an aimless distance.

But that ‘distance’ was just the high wall outside.

So he looked down again. His lowered lashes cast a shadow, completely obscuring his eyes.

Lin Chenxin leaned back against the door, watching the Eldest Young Master as she asked, “Actually, you can’t do whatever you want either, can you?”

The Eldest Young Master opposite her showed no reaction, his face devoid of any emotion.

The heavy shackles on his feet lay on the ground, covered in patches of rust and bearing marks of dragging and friction.

A look at his bare feet revealed bruises so severe they were purple-black. This icy, heavy set of shackles had clearly been on for who knew how many years.

Meeting his gaze, Lin Chenxin suddenly felt less afraid than before.

Maybe she suddenly felt a bit sorry for him.

“I won’t leave here for now,” she said softly.

Chen Gujun looked at Lin Chenxin, watching her young, radiant face blur in the increasingly dim twilight, yet its candid outline was etched more deeply.

He did not speak.

It seemed the question he had asked earlier was his last words for now.

After a long moment, he lifted a finger.

The girl who had seemed so fearless just moments before suddenly closed her eyes, her hands behind her back gripping the doorframe tightly.

His movement paused, and he looked calmly toward the doorway.

Two lanterns suddenly lit up, like scattered starlight falling on the girl’s shoulders.

His gaze settled once more on her tense face.

In the silence, Lin Chenxin warily opened her eyes and looked up at the two lanterns overhead.

The crimson lanterns were old, now glowing with a faint red light that cast a dim illumination.

But like candles in the night, the darkened surroundings were still lit by the aged red lanterns, stretching her shadow long.

For a moment, she felt a sense of wonder, which momentarily overshadowed her feelings of fear or shock.

But when she turned to look again, the Eldest Young Master was no longer in front of her.

Only the chair facing her stood empty, feeling somewhat eerie.

And the heavy sound of chains was fading into the desolate, dead-silent backyard.

She was still stunned when the servants delivering meals filed in from outside.

The quiet atmosphere was broken by rustling sounds, but it didn’t add much liveliness; instead, it disturbed some of the peace.

The servants, not glancing sideways, placed the food on the table and then turned to leave in silence, as if they didn’t want to stay a second longer, quickly disappearing into the depths of the shadows.

The surroundings grew quiet again, but Lin Chenxin, standing in place, felt a complicated emotion rise within her.

—

Early the next morning, Lin Chenxin stood outside the door, breathing in the fresh morning air, then walked straight out and rang the bell.

The clear, loud sound of the bell instantly carried outward.

Perhaps it had been a long time since such a lively and pleasant sound had been heard in the lifeless mansion, for soon a servant hurried over.

Lin Chenxin stood with her arms crossed in the middle of the moon gate, looking at the other person’s face as she said, “I want to weed.”

The one who came was a young woman. She looked at Lin Chenxin, momentarily stunned, then lowered her head and turned to leave.

Soon, the woman brought over sickles, weed killer, a lawn mower, and other items—a complete set of tools for her to choose from.

Seeing the items on the ground, Lin Chenxin raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

It seemed the other party was indeed keeping the promise: “As long as she stays by the Eldest Young Master’s side and doesn’t leave the Junzi Courtyard without reason, any request of hers will be fulfilled.”

That put her mind at ease.

“Clang! Clang!”

The bell chimed once more.

She said in a leisurely tone, "I want to plant flowers."

A servant brought her various flower seeds and tools, placing them once more at the entrance of the moon gate.

"Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling!"

"I want a carpet to cover the whole floor of the room."

"Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling!"

"I also want two potted plants, a vase, two lounge chairs, a cradle, four red lanterns, and..."

The pile of items at the entrance grew larger and larger. Lin Chenxin gave the bell another shake and said to the one who came running, "Help me move these things inside."

After saying that, she turned and left without looking back.

The people left behind exchanged glances and ended up fetching several strong men, each carrying items as they followed her inside.

"Place the lounge chairs under the tree, put the potted plants under the railing, first cover the table in the room with a tablecloth, then place the vase on it."

Lin Chenxin took a cushion and sat on the stone chair, ordered bluntly, "Brew me a fresh pot of hot tea."

Once the tea was served, Lin Chenxin instructed them to hang the lanterns—two outside the study and the other two outside the main bedroom. The carpet was to be fitted snugly, covering the entire room.

The servants handled the other items without issue, but when it came to hanging the lanterns and laying the carpet, they became visibly nervous, not daring to lift their heads or let their eyes wander, as if afraid of seeing something they shouldn't.

Sitting in the courtyard, Lin Chenxin watched this scene with a calm expression.

The ground was strewn with withered branches and fallen leaves, a clear sign there were no servants even to sweep the courtyard.

No, that wasn't entirely accurate.

It would be more accurate to say that no one usually came here at all.

Lin Chenxin sipped her tea unhurriedly, watching as the servants put everything in its place as she'd asked.

However, after items like the lawnmower were brought in, no one touched them.

Those people only stayed in the front courtyard, unwilling to take even a single step into the backyard, as if something even more terrifying lurked there.

A faint shift passed over Lin Chenxin's expression, but she said nothing, only adding, "Go ask the head housekeeper for some extra compensation for your hard work. Tell her I said so. If she refuses, have her come here to see me."

After saying that, she smiled, looking lovely and striking.

"Even as servants, you shouldn't be treated like beasts of burden, summoned and dismissed at will, right?"

No one spoke, exchanging a few glances among themselves.

The young woman she'd first tasked kept stealing long glances at her.

Before long, everyone turned to Lin Chenxin, bowing in unison and saying, "Thank you, Young Mistress!"

Lin Chenxin's smile grew even brighter.

Standing on the rooftop, Chen Gujun gazed down coldly at Lin Chenxin, puzzled by her actions.

In his eyes, she was no different from the two women who'd met quick deaths.

In the end, they would all be devoured by this place—it was only a matter of time.

Sitting in the sun and savoring her tea, Lin Chenxin suddenly sensed something and looked up toward the rooftop, only to be blinded by the glaring sunlight.

She squinted, and when her vision finally cleared, she found nothing there.

However, there stood an old tree, exceptionally lush and tall. Compared to the bare, leafless branches in the Junzi Courtyard, this old tree was so dense it could block half the sky. Its thick branches stretched from some other courtyard into the Junzi Courtyard, directly covering a corner of the house.

Despite being the spot that got the most sun in the entire Junzi Courtyard, under the shade of the old tree, it lay shrouded in gloomy shadow, blocking the sunlight and exuding a chill.

Lin Chenxin stared at that spot for a long time, thinking to herself, "If an old tree becomes a spirit, it should be cut down!"